San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-10-06
soNoRA's LOST MINES.
Ex-Cadct Flippcr's Invcstigations-Going
Through thu Old Workings.

Ex-Cadct Flippcr's Invcstigntions-ioing
Through thu Old Workings.
Capt. Allen Mcintyre, who runs tho
LAX Superior company's steamer Peer
less between Chicago and Duluth, has
Just returned from winters soJourn in
Sonora, old Mexico, where he has been
for health and pleasure. AS to tho re-
ported mineral discoveries, Capt Mcln-
tyre does not pretend TO be an authority
In such matters. Eo brought home sew
cral specimens Of the ore from Tnop
groups, portion Of tho so called lost
mines, but 10 the eye Of experience In
such matters the ore docs not threaten q
bonanza. The ore Is free milling, but the
highest assay claimed for II is $50 ton,
and this Is carried In vein not much
over three or four feet wide. II Is said,
however, that much richer ore Is being
worked In feeble way by the Mcxicans In
other parts of the Taoja group. what
interested me most" sad Capt. Mcintyre
''was the dreadfully rough country we
had to traverse to get to this terra incoS-
nita. The region lies about 100 miles in
an air limo southeast Of Torres, a station
on the GInymas branch Of the Atchison
and Topeka road. The country Is q de-
lghtful one until you strike the foothills
Of the Sierra Madro range, and then 1t be-
comes grandly wild. Our party clam
bcred for miles and miles where even the
mules could hardly get footing"
"Werc the stories Of F1ipper's finding
some records In IN old ruined mission COZ
rcct?'
- mot exactly. Tlippcr did make the
acquaintance, however, Of an American
there who had married the niece OF
famous old padre, who lived n century or
more ago, and this American had large
library, containing some works over 2O0
years old Flipper knows Spanish thor
oughly, and he went through some of
these old books and manuscripts. IT is
by that means he got nh inlSling Of where
to look for the abandoned mining regions
of Guyanoca and Tayoja. Flipper and
Kruse went after one and M. j. Power,
miner in Mexico, and myself went for the
other. Tho story published Of ruins of
villages, arastras, and other remains OF
nm abandoned industry are correct. 1t
was mighty interesting to me to go
through these old workings. ! believe
within radius of mile I could have
counted over 100 openings to these lodges.
80 far as we could determine, there are
three lodges converging toward n center.
| have no doubt that further develop
ment by modern mining methods will
show that these lodges will come together,
though, Of course, that Is only conjecture.
zone Gun SEQ that these mines have
been worked In a most primitive method.
Even now they are not wholly abandoned.
we found one aged Mexican with a burr0
who was getting out ore from q place
where he had tapped one of the lodges.
He told us that his burro could carry 250
pounds of ore. This he took some ten
miles down the stream where another
Mexican had an arnstra, and there the
orc was worked. Each cargo, as he called
the burro's load, netted him about $50,
but having got that much there was no
moro mining until the money was ex-
lausted. These mines / have no doubt
are valuable, but it will take heavy CAPT
tai to operate them-especially those in
the Tayoja group. They are silver mines
much more costly to work. The Guy
anoca mines are gold, and If they are MS
representcd-I did not see them--they are
undoubtedly bonanza"
What other evidences do you find that
these mines were worked by the ancients9h
80, none, but the ruined adobe houses,
tho wrecked arastras and the tunnels that
niu ul5cS uSO cdNcu. lHeie Were tnree VI
four ancient dumps through which trees
were growing, and l saw one broken
arastya that had an oak tree nine
or ten inches in diameter running right
up through tho bottom. 1t is years and
years since that arastra was worked.
Bat" continued the captain, II was more
Fruck with the agricultural and cattle
raising possibilities of Sonora than any
thing else. / rode over thousands and
thousands Of acres OF as fine grazing and
agricultural lands as the sun ever shone
upon. Men without capital could amass
fortunes here in no time raising cattle for
fine American market. Sonora is verbally
O cattlcman's paradise. There is a lovely
climate, abundant water, native grasses
by the league, plenty of shade from thou
sands of oaks in the huge pastures; no
snow, no cold, no b.izZards and conse-
nuently 10 loss Of stock. Mexican herders
and no more faithful set Of workers can
be found anywhcrc-can be hired for fifty
cents day and board themselves. Native
cattle arc dirt cheap. Cross them with
A ncrican bulls and the result is some
fne stock "-Chicago Tribune.